Samukai’s Journey: A Story of Vengeance
by DF613
Summary: Samukai is a lost soul on a lifelong mission: to find out where he is from.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

Samukai had long decided that Fate was not on his side.

He had arrived in the Departed Realm after he had foolishly claimed the four weapons for himself - nay, given that very opportunity to his bitter rival and usurper. Before that, he lived in the Underworld, the Realm designated for creatures unable to accept their own passing. Just to torment them for eternity, they have no memory of their lives before.

All Samukai had known when he entered the Underworld was his name and that he used to be a king. But he had no other memories of his life from before.

And that drove him nuts.

What Samukai could not understand, however, was why he made it to the Departed Realm, rather than the Cursed Realm. Someone must really have messed up his scroll up in Cloud Kingdom for him to get here.

Samukai knew all of this information from the cosmology section of the Skull Library. He often spent time in there, trying in vain to grasp onto the smallest bit of knowledge that might trigger an old memory - _something_ to remind himself of his past life.

There was something that he needed to accomplish before his soul could finally have rest, but without knowing what it was, what chance would he have?


	2. Old Friends

**Chapter 1**

 _Departed Realm, 2016_

The Realm was unlike any other. The Underworld was inside a rocky crevice that ultimately had borders. Ninjago was a flat disk that did not stretch on forever. But the Departed Realm was different. It could be described as multiple realms: one for each deceased. 

At least it comes with GPS. 

If the point of eternal bliss is to relax, then if you want to hook up with old friends, you'd best make sure that you know where you're going. And boy did Samukai need to hook up with an old friend. 

There was one particular soul he knew could help. Garmadon had mentioned him occasionally. They used to be friends growing up, until Garmadon has bested him in a duel. Garmadon had stolen the promotion the man felt he was due - oh, did Samukai know how that felt - and ultimately betrayed them again, in the name of saving Ninjago. 

Like Samukai would believe that the man who manipulated him into this nightmare would ever have done anything to save Ninjago if not for personal gain. 

The important part of this story is that Samukai was sure they had met before. He just couldn't remember where. But this man - he remembered everything, and he had crossed across all dimensions. Maybe they could work out a deal. 

Samukai finally arrived. He ducked as he avoided the low-hanging doorway, a space made even smaller by the golden vases spewing purple flames flanking it. 

He heard the man before he saw him. "Hello, Samukai," the man said. "It's been a while."

"Hello, Clouse."


	3. Catching Up

**Chapter 2**

"When we last spoke," Clouse carefully selected his words, "I believe you tried sending me here. Funny how here we meet anyway."

"Yeah, uh, about that." Samukai fumbled for the appropriate words. "How do you even remember that? Upon entering the Underworld I couldn't remember a thing!"

"My element is magic," Clouse drawled. "I don't have to abide by the normal cosmic balance of things."

"Which is exactly what I'm counting on," Samukai grinned. "I must remember my past. Only then can I truly be free."

"Are you sure you want to know?" Clouse was clearly hiding something.

"All I want is a way out," Samukai pleaded. "A way back to Ninjago."

Clouse seemed stunned by that response. Obviously there was something he didn't want Samukai finding out. After a few moments, he regained his composure. "Even I cannot provide that much power," he said at last. "But if I know my fellow magicians well enough, you may be able to escape fairly soon... But I'll only help you on one condition."

Samukai decided to take a gamble. "Me, offer _you_ a favor? It's you who owes me!"

Clouse took pause at that. After a long thought, he finally agreed, "Yes, I suppose I do."

"So when shall we begin?" Samukai asked. He honestly couldn't believe that his gambit paid off: not only is he getting a way out, but Clouse offered a huge hint as to where he should begin his search.


	4. Day of the Departed

**Chapter 3**

 _Ninjago, 2016_

The Day of the Departed was an annual celebration, simultaneously joyous yet somber. Unlike some cultures, which mourn the loss of their beloved, Ninjago celebrates them, knowing that they are still out there.

Cole, however, was feeling alone.

Kai and Nya had gone to their parents' shop, as they thought their parents had departed when they were little. Jay cherished the parents he has. Zane memorialized his father, and Lloyd his. But what did Cole have? He was fading out. He had nobody.

And it was all Sensei Yang's fault.

Yang, always being one step ahead, was able to channel Cole's anger into using the Yin-Yang Eclipse's power to release their enemies into Ninjago.

Including Samukai.

As Samukai felt his soul rush into his mannequin, he knew he had a second chance.

Yang quickly explained to Samukai and the other revived villains that they must cause a ninja to depart for their existence to remain permanent. Unfortunately for Samukai, that meant he was stuck with attacking Jay.

But Samukai was out of practice. Try as he might, he was unable - even with his skeletal sidekicks - to defeat the quick lightning ninja. And it was back to the Departed for Samukai.

But not for long.

Morro, rather than attacking Wu, made peace with his past and warned him of Yang's plan. While Yang was able to open the rift in the end, it was ultimately his students, and Cole, who made it through. Yang remained behind.

But they weren't the only ones who made it through. Because Samukai knew he had to have a backup plan - he had had enough of backstabbing traitors. So he marked down the exact location of the portal on the other side, and with a long trek, Samukai was able to reach it as it was closing.

He was free.


	5. Vague Recollections

**Chapter 4**

 _Monastery of Spinjitzu, 2017._

Samukai crouched behind a bush. The Sensei couldn't know that he was here.

He was sitting next to the entrance, alternating between meditation and checking his pocket watch. And so it continued, for hours on end.

Until exactly 5:30.

At that moment, the sky suddenly darkened. Thunder broke out.

And then, two minutes later, with a blinding flash of light, a four-colored portal appeared in the sky, from which a young man dropped down to the ground.

"Right on time," Wu finally said.

"What?!" the man gasped, turning around.

"Long time no see," the Spinjitzu master responded, still not looking up from his watch.

"Master Wu," the man spoke, walking toward the elderly Sensei. "You look...old, as if your better days have passed. Not unlike your Momastery." He gestured to the building, mostly a skeleton of what it used to be, having been torched by the Hypnobrai several years earlier.

"I still have plenty of days left," Wu countered, finally pocketing his watch and using his staff to help himself up. "Shall we finish what we started? I've been waiting decades."

"Really?" the young man asked sarcastically, holding a long knife behind his flowing green cape. "It doesn't feel that long to me." His reddish eyes narrowed beneath his black hood.

Sensei returned the glare. "This ends now," he challenged, taking on a battle stance.

There was something about the man that looked so familiar to Samukai, but he just couldn't place it. If he knew Clouse from back in the day, maybe they had met around the time of the Serpentine Wars?

Samukai scurried down the steps of the mountain as the battle broke out. He knew where to go next. For sure Ninjago has a library somewhere - maybe their books are of better quality than the ones in the Underworld. Or maybe they have a history museum...


End file.
